Funding

Admissions Process

All applicants must hold a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution. Although any undergraduate major is acceptable, for students in the initial stages of undergraduate preparation, a major in Kinesiology or the biological sciences tends to be the most direct route into a physical therapy program.

Applicants are encouraged to retake courses or take additional science courses or highly recommended courses to raise their GPA if their GPA is not competitive. Note that all grades are included in the GPA calculations.

We recommend a minimum of 50th percentile scores for the Verbal and Quantitative GRE exams, using both old and new scoring systems. We recommend a minimum score of 4.0 on the Analytical Writing section of the GRE. GRE test scores must be no more than 5 years old. Applicants are encouraged to retake the exam if they score below the recommended minimums.

When evaluating multiple GRE scores, the program will count the highest score from each section. Applicants are recommended to plan to take the GRE twice in the event they are not happy with their initial scores. All scores must be sent to PTCAS Program code #7591 in order to be considered.

All applicants must be able to demonstrate some understanding of the work and professions of physical therapy gained through a minimum of 100 hours of paid or volunteer experience in a variety (e.g. outpatient, inpatient, rehabilitation) of physical therapy settings working under the direct supervision of a licensed physical therapist. The clinical observation hours must be completed and electronically verified in PTCAS by the application deadline. There are no exceptions.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to plan ahead to obtain a mix of both inpatient and outpatient experiences. Keep in mind that many inpatient facilities have long waiting lists for volunteers which can range anywhere from 6 months to over a year. All applicants are encouraged to research facilities in their area for more opportunities to obtain clinical observation experiences under a licensed physical therapist. Applicants may also research skilled nursing facilities that may have opportunities to work under the direct supervision of a licensed physical therapist. Although, there is no requirement to work as a Physical Therapy Aide prior to applying to our program, many applicants seek this opportunity in order to obtain more hands-on experience and guaranteed hours of clinical work.

Other factors reviewed besides academic ability include: research experience, community service, extracurricular activities, leadership activities, strong letters of recommendation, and a personal interest in why Physical Therapy is the right career for them.

Applicants should complete all prerequisite courses prior to the October 1 application deadline. Two prerequisites may be in progress or planned after the October 1 deadline, but they must be completed by enrollment in the program. No prerequisite course may be taken on a Pass/No Pass basis. The Admissions Committee considers final grades when evaluating academic performance and determining an applicant’s potential for success in the program. Competitive applicants meet or exceed the stated minimum requirements.

The program will apply AP credit to satisfy prerequisite requirements for Physics, Chemistry, or Statistics if the following criteria are met:

Advanced Placement credit is accepted by the undergraduate institution and the undergraduate intuition has granted a waiver for the course equivalency (i.e. General Chemistry, General Physics, Introductory Statistics). Elective credit or units are not applicable.
Advanced Placement credit and course equivalency must appear on official transcripts.

No. All letter-graded prerequisite coursework is acceptable, no matter when the coursework was completed. However, it is highly recommended that students take refresher courses when needed to be prepared to take full advantage of the curriculum.

Yes. General Chemistry w/lab, General Physics w/lab, Microbiology/Cell Biology/Histology, Abnormal Psychology, and Statistics prerequisites can be taken at any community college. Please check www.assist.org to determine the equivalence of the community college courses to similar courses at either a CSU or UC school. It is preferred, though not required that Anatomy and Physiology be taken at a four-year institution.

Any prerequisite course that does not require a laboratory component can be taken online through an accredited institution. All online courses MUST be pre-approved by our department prior to enrollment in the class except for Anatomy. Anatomy must alwayes be taken in person. Pre-approval can be obtained by sending a copy of the course syllabus, course number, course name, and institution to PTadmissions@ucsf.edu.

Under extreme circumstances, the Admissions Committee will review requests for deferred admission. Written requests for deferral must be received by March 1 of the year of expected entry. Students will receive notice of acceptance or denial of deferment by April 1 of the year of expected entry. We typically consider deferrals that are based on either physical illness/medical condition of the applicant or immediate family member or an unexpected, extenuating circumstance that precludes the student from starting classes at the start of the academic year. While we understand that students may wish to defer admission for financial reasons, personal development, employment opportunities, or family needs, we are unlikely to grant deferrals for these reasons.

Yes, applicants who are denied admission are welcome to reapply in subsequent years. If an applicant reapplies, s/he must resubmit a new PTCAS application and pay the PTCAS and UCSF application fees again. Repeat applicants should highlight what they have done to improve their eligibility for the program since the previous application and are encouraged to submit at least one new or updated letter of recommendation. Applicants may only apply three times for admission. Information on reuse of application materials can be found on the PTCAS Reapplicants information page.

Funding

Yes. There are a limited number of competitive, merit-based scholarships as well as need-based awards for students throughout the 3-year program. Current students are considered for these awards, and there is no need to submit a formal application.